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Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

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Neighbors oppose planned Tenino-area pot farm

The Columbian
Published:

OLYMPIA — Green is everywhere in the Skookumchuck Valley, from the lush pastures grazed by cattle and horses to the forested hills that surround the rural community of mostly hobby farms just outside of Tenino.

But a group of residents has joined together to battle a different type of green from sprouting up in their neighborhood: a proposed commercial marijuana farm.

“I don’t care if someone grows a few plants; I don’t even care if they smoke it,” said Phil Forbing, who lives next door to the would-be pot farm in the 6000 block of 199th Avenue Southeast. “But I don’t want a commercial business next to me in a residential area.”

So far, about 20 people have joined the effort to block the farm that’s been proposed by Olympia-based Silica Phoenix LLC.

It’s one of the first not-in-my-backyard cases in the state since Initiative 502, approved by voters in November 2012, ushered the way for state-licensed production, processing and retail sales of recreational marijuana.

Some governments, including Pierce County and several of its cities, have banned new recreational marijuana enterprises within their jurisdictions. The Washington State Liquor Control Board has scheduled a lottery next week to select marijuana retail licenses around the state. Meantime, officials have approved about 40 licenses for growers and processors, according to Brian Smith, spokesman for the Liquor Control Board.

Thurston County commissioners eased into the law by passing a one-year interim ordinance that included zoning regulations on where state-licensed pot could be grown, processed and sold. County manager Cliff Moore said it hasn’t been an easy task to implement the new law.

Officials said they’ve only approved a handful of permits for growing and processing so far.

Several Skookumchuck Valley residents voiced their concerns at a recent Thurston County Commission meeting, urging officials to deny a special-use permit that’s been submitted for the nearly 10-acre property. They’ve also contacted officials at the Liquor Control Board.

Resident Shelly Forest said they have numerous concerns, including the commercial look of the farm, the environmental impact of possible chemicals and groundwater pollution, potential smell of pot plants and personal safety of nearby residents. She also doesn’t like the idea of security cameras on the property, or increased traffic that a business will bring onto their street.

Silica Phoenix has applied for a state license to grow marijuana at the farm and process it at a different site, said Olympia attorney Jonathan Swartz, who is one of its four owners.

He said he’d like to get together with the neighbors to talk about their concerns, and try to resolve issues.

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